Sarasota mayor to seek County Commission seat

Shannon Snyder will run for District 2 seat against fellow City Commissioner Paul Caragiulo and perennial candidate Pete Theisen.

BY JESSIE VAN BERKEL

Sarasota Mayor Shannon Snyder will challenge his fellow city commissioner for an open seat on the county board in the November election.

Snyder, 48, said he is filing Wednesday to run for the District 2 county commission seat. He will face off with City Commissioner Paul Caragiulo and Sarasotan Pete Theisen, a retired acupuncturist and perennial candidate in local races. All three men are Republicans.

Snyder is a third-generation Sarasota resident who retired nearly four years ago after 25 years with the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office. He said he decided to enter the race because he wants to serve the whole county and ensure that the government lives within its means.

His decision was also spurred by a number of issues. He is concerned about Sarasota County's struggle to keep medians mowed, the condition of roads and how staff handled the firing of ethics coordinator Steve Uebelacker.

Snyder plans to announce his candidacy in North Port in an effort to show from the start that he values all of the county's communities.

“I will be serving the whole county, not a select few,” he said.

The district that he is running in includes part of the city of Sarasota and Longboat Key. Commissioner Joe Barbetta has held the position for the past eight years. His term limit expires this year.

Caragiulo, who announced that he was running last August, has a financial head start on Snyder. He has already received $35,527.40 in contributions, including in-kind donations and loans. Of that, $6,137.40 has come from Caragiulo, through in-kind contributions and an initial $5,000 loan.

Theisen has raised $2,298.80, about half of which he loaned to the campaign.

Caragiulo is a restaurateur whose family owns Sarasota hot spots Caragiulo's, Nancy's Bar-B-Q, Owen's Fish Camp and Shore. He said he wants to bring a small business owner's perspective to the public sector, he said before he filed last year.

Caragiulo has received some financial support from members of the development community, who have helped other county commissioners get elected.

Snyder said his campaign will be grassroots, and he knows that, “I'm going to be up against the overall political machine.”

“I'm too big to fit in anybody's pocket,” Snyder added.

He is known as an outspoken voice in Sarasota politics, often decrying what he views as corruption or overspending.

“The mayor will stand up and say it the way it is,” Snyder said of his reputation. “He certainly doesn't sugar-coat it.”

Another county commission seat will be open in the upcoming election.

Neighborhood activist Lourdes Ramirez is competing with Al Maio, vice president of design and engineering firm Kimley-Horn, for District 4. The district includes Gulf Gate, Palmer Ranch and Siesta Key.

The primary election for the spots is Aug. 26 and the general election is Nov. 4.